Gran Recapte food drive kicks off with hopes of reversing decline in donations

The 16th edition of the Gran Recapte, Catalonia’s largest annual food drive, began on Friday with hopes of reversing a decline in donations.

This year’s massive initiative features more than 2,200 donation points across Catalonia, primarily in supermarkets, supported by an army of 16,000 volunteers.

While all contributions are welcome, organizers recommend non-perishable items such as oil, milk, rice, pasta, canned goods, and baby products.

Financial donations can also be made online through the Gran Recapte website until December 5.

The campaign comes during a challenging period for food drives, with the organization reporting a 15–20% drop in contributions over the past year.

To inspire greater participation, this year’s slogan is 'Eat Your Excuses', aiming to surpass the €5.8 million raised in 2023.

In Catalonia, 24% of the population is at risk of social exclusion or poverty, and the funds raised during Gran Recapte are crucial to supporting them. 

"We help more than 230,000 people. They need these donations to get out of poverty, to get a job," said the director of Banc dels Aliments, Elisabet Viladomiu. 

Enric Morist, spokesperson for several social entities, stressed that the Gran Recapte "is not the solution, but an important compliment".

Along the same lines, Raúl Moreno, secretary general of the ministry of social rights, said that the initiative shows that Catalonia is a "country of solidarity", but that the ultimate goal is that there is no need for it. 

"The goal must be that one day there is no Gran Recapte, which means that there is the structure for everyone to have the necessary food," he said. 

In addition to supporting local families, half of this year’s donations will aid Valencia’s recovery efforts following the devastating floods in October.

“This year, we want to raise donations, not excuses. People have a dual motivation: helping those in need around us and those in Valencia,” said Lluís Fatjó-Vilas, president of the Banc dels Aliments. 

However, the president explained that Valencia is already overwhelmed with food donations. For this reason, the food bank will send half of the cash donations to Valencia and all the food donations they request.

"We want to avoid a collapse in the affected area, or products expiring or not reaching their destination. We will provide all the donations they need, according to their needs, as many are already covered," he explained.

Once the food drive is over, the Banc dels Aliments will begin sorting and packaging the food collected, which will be distributed to those in need through local entities in the next months.